(RALEIGH) Attorney General Josh Stein today urged House leadership to support the First Step Act, legislation to strengthen the criminal justice system through reforms to facilitate the reentry of people leaving incarceration and to empower prosecutors to seek appropriate sentences.

“This legislation will make our criminal justice system smarter and our communities safer,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “In particular, I strongly support its provisions to support the reentry of the 95 percent of people who are currently in prison and will eventually get out. This year in North Carolina alone, 20,000 people will leave incarceration. Adequately preparing them to succeed upon release reduces repeat crime and reincarceration.”

The letter reads, “As our states’ Attorneys General, public safety and the faithful execution of the law fall squarely on our shoulders. Voters hold us uniquely accountable for ensuring our communities provide a safe place to work and raise a family. To that end, we have supported legislation that strongly punishes criminal conduct while making sure people exiting prison pose less of a threat than when they entered.”

On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate voted 87-12 in favor of this legislation. The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on it today.

Attorney General Josh Stein is joined in writing this letter by 37 attorneys general, including those from the District of Columbia, Florida, Texas, Utah, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.